Balbir Madhopuri


Balbir Madhopuri is a Punjabi language writer, poet and translator. He is best known for his autobiography, Chhangiya Rukh. His writings are primarily focused on the issues related to the oppressed and depressed classes, especially Dalits. In 2021, He has received The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature for his novel Mitti Bol Payi.

Birth and writings

Balbir Madhopuri was born in 1955 in Madhopur, a small village in district Jalandhar, Punjab. He worked as a child labourer and an agricultural worker at his early age. Despite a humble beginning, he managed to acquire a post-graduate degree in Punjabi. Madhopuri is a Punjabi poet with three collections of poetry. His autobiography is Chhangiya Rukh which was written by him in Punjabi. Changiya Rukh by Oxford University Press in 2010 has also been published in some Indian languages including Hindi and Shahmukhi. In 2021, Chhangiya Rukh has been translated in Urdu by Ajmal Kamal.
Madhopuri has authored 14 books in his mother tongue. Apart from his original works he has translated two and thirty into Punjabi from Hindi and English. He has also edited 40 books in Punjabi. He wrote research papers on Ghadar Movement, Revolutionaries, Naxal poet Pash, Dalit Movements in Punjab and India etc. have been published and included in the books edited by different scholars.
Balbir Madhopuri is working as Director and Editor of Samkali Sahit with Punjabi Sahit Sabha, New Delhi.

Selected works

Original main works

  1. Maroothal da Birkh
  2. BhakhdaPatal
  3. Meri Chonvi Kavita
  4. Chhangiya Rukh
  5. Ad Dharm de Bani-Ghadri Baba Mangu Ram
  6. Sahitak Mulakatan
  7. Samunder de Sang Sang
  8. Dilli Ik Virasat
  9. Mitti Bol Payi

Translated main works

  1. Lajja
  2. Edwina and Nehru
  3. Shahidan de Khat
  4. Krantikarian da Bachpan
  5. Neeli Jheel
  6. Diabetes de Sang Jeen Da Dhang
  7. Manukh di Kahani
  8. Natakan de Desh Vich
  9. BhartdianPuranianYadgaaran
  10. Samunder de Tapu
  11. Man di Dunia
  12. Guru Ravidas di Mool Vichardhara
  13. Nawab Rangile
  14. Karantikari Azeemula Khan
  15. Rajkamal Choudhary Dian Chonvian Kahania
  16. My Childhood on My Shoulders
  17. Subhash Neeravdian Chonvian Kahanian
  18. Inni Kaur's Guru Nanak–Sakhian
  19. Mitti Boldi Hai
  20. Chonvia Afriki Kahania
  21. Lu Xundian Chonvian Kahanian

Edited main works

  1. Bharti Vigyan De Chanan Munare
  2. Satguru Ram Singh Te Kuka Lehar
  3. Guru Nanak Ton Guru Granth Sahib Tak
  4. Shahidan De Khat
  5. Bhagat Singh : Amar Vidrohi
  6. Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha
  7. Dyal Singh Majithia
  8. Bharat Dian Puranian Yadgaaran
  9. Bharat Chhado Andolan
  10. Bharti Sabhyachar Di Jhaki
  11. Bharat VichAngrezi Raj
  12. Bharat Vich Angrezi Raj
  13. Bharat Dian Lok Kathavan
  14. Punjab De Lok Nach
  15. Bharat De Lok Nach
  16. Kalpna Chawla
  17. Bharat De Gaurav Granth
  18. 1857 Da Sutantarta Sangram
  19. Vigyanian Dian Jeevan Kathavan
  20. Bharat De Panshi
  21. Ravinder Nath Thakur Dian Bal Kahanian
  22. Bhapa Pritam Singh Yadgari Bhashan
  23. Punjabi Swaijivinia: Sahitk Mulankan

Awards and honours

His works have earned him some awards including -
  1. The Dhahan Prize in 2021 for his novel Mitti Bol Payi.
  2. Lifetime Achievement Award - 2013, Punjabi Academy, Delhi
  3. Former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh honoured him in International Punjabi Conference - Delhi in 2.2.2018
  4. Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize 2013
  5. Best Book of the year-2003, Punjab Languages Department, Govt. of Punjab
  6. S.M.S. Sahitya Award, Maharashtra - 2003
  7. Also honoured by the Department of Punjabi, Kurukshetra University, Department of Hindi, University of Ranchi etc.
  8. Translation Prize in 2000 from Punjabi Academy, Delhi
  9. Kav Purskar
  10. Sant Ram Udasi Memorial Award - 1993

The Dhahan Prize 2021

The Dhahan Prize is an annual prize awarded by the Canada-India education society for excellence in Punjabi fiction. The prize is given to three books of fiction, written in either Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi script. In 2021, Balbir Madhopuri’s Mitti Bol Payi has received The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature in the novel category. Mitti Bol Paye deals with the historic inequality and mistreatment of the lower castes, women, the landless poor, and those denied access to education by powerful landlords and higher castes.
In November 2022, Madhopuri had three lecture series in different cities of Canada as the recipient of this award.